Not good for the NHL. At the same time its not surprising.I guess come this summer we will find out if its money or a cup he wants.

QUOTE

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The president of the KHL confirmed Saturday that the Russian-based league will aggressively pursue star winger Ilya Kovalchuk once his NHL contract expires on June 30.

"Yes, yes, because it will be absolutely legal," Alexander Medvedev said during a sitdown interview with ESPN.com and The Hockey News. "It's understood with the leagues that if it's a free agent or even a restricted free agent, they could decide where to play. So Kovalchuk has the full right to decide where to play. We are going to negotiate with him and his agents what kind of agreement could be reached."

Unless he signs an extension with the New Jersey Devils, Kovalchuk will become an unrestricted free agent July 1. Medvedev's company Gazprom owns the KHL club in St. Petersburg and he's hopeful the former Atlanta Thrasher will be open to a lucrative offer to jump ship from the NHL.

"The difference between 45 percent taxes and 13 percent taxes is substantial," Medvedev said. "We could top that [NHL] money he would receive by a substantial sum up. He will decide."

In other words, a $7-million salary in Russia for Kovalchuk is akin to making almost double in the NHL and that's what Medvedev hopes will be the biggest allure.

While the KHL hopes to add a marquis star of Kovalchuk's stature, Medvedev understands there's a chance it will lose Jaromir Jagr, who has played the last two seasons with Omsk. Jagr's contract expires at the end of the season, and he told reporters last week that he would consider a return to the NHL.

"His contract will expire," said Medvedev. "Obviously Jaromir is a one of the stars of the KHL and we would be happy for him to stay. But legally he has the right to go any place."

In other developments, Medvedev said he met four times this week with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and reported progress in the strained relations between the two leagues.

"I will characterize it as a constructive meeting," he said of the last encounter here in Vancouver. "It was a broad agenda. Some things could be done relatively quickly, some of it will require time. But at least now we have an agreement on what should we do, who will be responsible and which results we anticipate."

Just what exactly the two league leaders were discussing remains vague.

"We agreed not to disclose anything before we reach an agreement," said Medvedev.

Bettman confirmed meeting with Medvedev.

"It is fair to say we had a constructive discussion," Bettman told ESPN.com via email Saturday. "Second, we didn't agree to any specifics. And, third, we agreed to not say anything other than we had a constructive discussion."

An obvious point of disagreement is Medvedev's concern that the NHL has not yet committed its players for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

"You can't change your philosophy overnight but at least we had a constructive discussion," Medvedev said when asked about what Bettman told him regarding 2014.

But again, Medvedev warned that Russia's top NHL stars will be in Sochi regardless of whether the NHL has signed off on it, saying that Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk and Evgeni Malkin have pledged to be there either way.

"They have said that nobody can forbid them to play for their own country in the Olympics," he said. "I'm rather sure that these guys will play on the [2014] Russian Olympic team. And it doesn't only refer to Russian players but I have heard statements from other European players which are committed to play for their countries in the Olympic Games."

Considering the kind of contracts teams will offer in the NHL, I'm guessing any KHL offer will pretty much have to be double that. Don't really know if Kovie is the kind of player who only goes for the cash or if he'll stick around to win something...

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but what hockey player/girlfriend/wife can turn down 10+M dollars tax free?

Not only that, but he'll be offered that kind of money in his native country, near all of his friends and family. I won't lose a bit of respect for him if he decides to take an offer for big money in the KHL.

Considering the kind of contracts teams will offer in the NHL, I'm guessing any KHL offer will pretty much have to be double that. Don't really know if Kovie is the kind of player who only goes for the cash or if he'll stick around to win something...

Like the Article States. A 7 million dollar contract in Russia IS pretty much double a 7 million dollar contract in the NHL. What's the max? 11 mil? I could see an NHL team offering around 9, and a KHL team offering around 12. After the Tax difference, that's a substantial amount of extra money.

Maybe after this the NHL will learn, and I don't think it's just about money but the way the league is run in general that drives players away. The problems with officiating in this league are a joke and I think many other players feel the same way. With the cap going down, and players getting more money to play in their birth country, are you really surprised they decide to leave?

But hey, this is "the best league in the world" right?

In all likelihood some NHL team will probably be willing to pay him what he wants. Doesn't matter though, Don Cherry told me Canadians are the best anyway.

Considering the kind of contracts teams will offer in the NHL, I'm guessing any KHL offer will pretty much have to be double that. Don't really know if Kovie is the kind of player who only goes for the cash or if he'll stick around to win something...

Well, those russians have a LOT of money to offer. Private investors over there will pretty much do anything to aquire all of the homelands sons. Add to it that many russians seems to want to play in the KHL. But I sure do hope that a player like Ilja stays in NHL.

I really think of the KHL like I do a tree in the forest. If I ain't around to hear it when it falls then I don't care it fell.

I hate losing the talent but.....I'm probably alone in this thinking but to me the Cup is the goal of any professional hockey player. If someone can tell me if I should care(other than talent leaving) I'd be glad to rethink my position.

"Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair, or f***in beatin's. The world ends when you're dead. Until then you got more punishment in store.Stand it like a man, and give some﻿ back."